Cotton County, Oklahoma Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Cotton County is located in Oklahoma with a total population of 5,475. It is the 67th most populous county out of 77 in Oklahoma. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cotton County is 43.2 years. This is 17% higher than the state median of 36.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cotton County is $60,313. This is 5% lower than the state median of $63,603. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 22.9%. This is 49% higher than the state poverty rate of 15.3%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 2.2%. This is 55% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $113,200. Housing costs are 39% lower than the state median of $185,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.9x, Cotton County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 21% higher than the state average of 65.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cotton County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 74.9% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.4%. The Black or African American population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 6.9%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 2.3%.

Education

20.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 25% lower than the state rate of 27.8%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cotton County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Oklahoma and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.